As one of the six epicenters of Southern hip hop, Memphis has always had a thriving underground capable of producing major platinum superstars such as Eightball & MJG, 3-6 Mafia and Project Pat,Skip a.k.a Gianni Booker. All of the above-mentioned artists at one point in time literally dominated the city’s underground rap scene before going on to become national superstars. Next up to bat is Yo Gotti, M-Town’s current underground rap kingpin. Like his namesake John Gotti, the Memphis based rapper has been running the Southern underground scene with an iron fist for the past. Known and respected throughout the South for his skill and finesse on the microphone, Yo Gotti is one the South’s most respected young rappers.
Born Mario Mims, Yo Gotti grew up in the infamous Ridge Crest Apartments in a North Memphis neighborhood called Frazier. His childhood was typical for a poor ghetto youth in the Deep South. Raised in a family of hustlers and exposed to hard times 24 hours a day the Tennessee rap titan soon turned to the only thing that he knew could get him paid, hustling. “Being from the hood things like hustling will come your way,” says Yo Gotti. “Everybody in my family hustled in some kinda way.” Ironically, hustling is what ultimately led Yo Gotti to rapping.
Taking his cue from Memphis rap legends such as Eightball & MJG, Al Kapone, Gangsta Black, Triple 6 Mafia and Kingpin Skinny Pimp, all of whom he lists as influences, Yo Gotti released his own underground tape entitled, Youngster on the Come Up and placed it on consignment at local mom & pop record stores as well as hustling it out the trunk. The tape sold like hotcakes on the street and made Yo Gotti the hottest rapper on the streets of Memphis. From the Dope Game to the Rap Game, Yo Gotti’s sophomore effort sold so well that Select-O-Hits, a local based independent distributor offered him a small deal and the Memphis rapper more than doubled his fan base with absolutely no marketing or promotions. Soon he found himself ranked among the city’s top rappers. In addition to being featured on the cover of Murderdog Magazine along side his idols Kingpin Skinny Pimp and Al Kapone his record From the Dope Game to the Rap Game made the list for the magazine’s top independent record for the year 2000.
Two years later he inked a distribution deal with TVT Records and released the critically acclaimed album Life, which did respectable numbers for an independent label. “It sold about 40 or 50,000, with no promotions or video,” says Yo Gotti. “That record did what it did on its own.” But as the old saying goes when one door is closed another opened. Gotti’s reputation as the king of Memphis continued to spread and that eventually led him to a production deal with Cash Money/Universal records for his group the Block Burnaz. With his TVT sophomore album entitled Back 2 Da Basics, Yo Gotti returns with the same hardcore street flavor that his die-hard fans have come to know and love, only this time around the true king of Memphis has elevated his game a bit. Given the fact that his last record didn’t do the type of big number he’d hope for you’d think that Yo Gotti would switch up his style to reach a larger audience. Right? Wrong! According to Gotti his street credibility with his underground fans means more to him than gold or platinum status.
“The one thing that you have to understand is that when you create a fan base off of street product the last thing you wanna do is disrespect them by changing because of the record companies and stuff like that. When you do that you change what created you. To me it is very important that I keep in tune with the people that helped to sell 40,000 records independently. That’s why I call my record Back 2 Da Basics.”
Produced by DJ Thoomp, Mannie Fresh, Carlos Brody and newcomers Street Tunes, Back 2 Da Basics offers fans a gritty, insider’s view into the real streets of Memphis as seen through the eyes of Yo Gotti. Nowhere is this viewpoint more intense than on “Full Time,” the amped up lead single –and featured in the MTV Films’ Hustle & Flow movie - with a thunderous bass and intoxicating beat that espouses Gotti’s formula to success –hustle full time.
“A lotta cats wanna be a rapper or a street hustler but they don’t wanna put in the time that it takes,” says Yo Gotti. “They want the money and the cars and the girls, but they don’t wanna work hard for it. But to be successful at anything you gotta grind for it.” On the song “Mama We Gone Be Alright,” he waxes introspective by reflecting on all of the hard times that he and his family have suffered through the years and offers her hope-filled words encouragement. “Mama We Gone Be Alright” along with the gripping tune “My Story” emerges as two of the most interesting songs on Back 2 Da Basics. These three titles along with club banging songs like “Shorty” featuring Baby make Back 2 Da Basics one of the best albums of the year.
Colors
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I see is green, and them dollar, signs
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
White on white whips and the rims match
World black and white and I'm colorblind!
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
I switch 150 channels like Comcast
Whole world black and white: television
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
World black and white, and I'm color blind
All I see is green and them dollar signs
I'm Yo Gotti
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
White on white whips and them rims match
World black and white and I'm color blind
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
White on white whips and them rims match
World black and white and I'm color blind
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
Try to wire a nigga up, dumbass
I switched 150 channels, like Comcast
Whole world black and white, television
Pink Panther-ass niggas, I can tell they snitchin'
No cartoons, I was selling tweedy birds
Niggas ain't from the streets, he got alotta nerve
I just pulled up on my buddy, he had a plant of purple
Smokin' Whoopi Goldberg, we call it the color purple
In a CL 600, all white
Talkin' Bob Barker bricks, cause the price is right
Mister Dale Earnhardt move the work fast
Whole buncha white squares in em black bags
I just wanna see some green and some rubberbands
Into makin' money flyin', watchin' strippers dance
Shawty said she light skin, and I should call her red
Told her it's a black and white world and I just want some head
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
White on white whips and them rims match
World black and white and I'm color blind
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
White on white whips and them rims match
World black and white and I'm color blind
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
It's Gucci Mane, call me Stevie Wonder
I don't see these haters, I just see the numbers
I just see the money, I just see the commas
Drop the top on my 'Vette, I just see the summa'
Bunch old jacked white guys in my pocket, racks
I stash the re up then fuck up the profit
I might cash out, I might spazz out
You throwin' rocks, but you livin' in a glass house
Put my Gucci shades on, I got night vision
Shiftin' gears in my 'Rarri like it's ?
And everyday I'm on go, you on straight pause
I don't see you niggas, it's like I'm Ray Charles
Yeah I'm color blind, I like yellow bones
I like my coke white, I like my kush strong
So nigga tune in, my life a mob movie
Say it's a cold drought, then nigga call Gucci!
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
White on white whips and them rims match
World black and white and I'm color blind
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
White on white whips and them rims match
World black and white and I'm color blind
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
All I see is dead people
Soo woop, all I see is red people
Red dots, chop chop, I see dead people
Shoot him through his snap back, make his head see through
Body count, body count
Add anotha' nigga to my body count
AR15 hold alotta rounds
Sniper kit, so that bitch don't make nada sound
FN-57 with them blue tips
20 shot clip, that should move shit
White car, that's my cool whip
Still movin' 8 balls, without a pool stick
Santana bitch, I don't see no colors
But I see you hatin ass mafuckas
I got some lil' niggas that'll do ya dirty
Free of charge too, they just wanna put some work in
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
White on white whips and them rims match
World black and white and I'm color blind
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
White on white whips and them rims match
World black and white and I'm color blind
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
The lyrics to Yo Gotti Feat. Gucci Mane & Juelz Santana's song Colors talks about the idea of colorblindness and how the world works in black and white, but all the artists see is green and dollar signs. The lines "World black and white and I'm colorblind! All I see is green, and them dollar signs" emphasize the color blindness aspect, while the following lines "Black on black hoodie with the black mask, White on white whips and the rims match" focus on the black and white connotation of the world.
The song also talks about the street life, such as the lines, "Tried to wire a nigga up? Dumbass, I switch 150 channels like Comcast, Whole world black and white: television." In these bars, the artists depict how they navigate through the dangers of the streets, with the "television" referring to the constant surveillance they face.
Another theme in the song is the idea of money and how it rules everything. The lines "All I see is dead people, Soo woop, all I see is red people, Red dots, chop chop, I see dead people" talk about how people will go to any lengths to get money, including killing.
Line by Line Meaning
World black and white and I'm colorblind!
The world seems like just black and white to me, I am colorblind.
All I see is green, and them dollar, signs
All I see is money and dollar signs.
Black on black hoodie with the black mask
I'm wearing a black hoodie and a black mask.
White on white whips and the rims match
My cars are all white and the rims match the cars.
World black and white and I'm colorblind!
The world seems like just black and white to me, I am colorblind.
All I see is green, and them dollar signs
All I see is money and dollar signs.
Tried to wire a nigga up? Dumbass
You tried to set me up? You're an idiot.
I switch 150 channels like Comcast
I change channels quickly like I have 150 channels like the cable provider, Comcast.
Whole world black and white: television
The whole world seems black and white like an old television.
Pink Panther-ass niggas, I can tell they snitchin'
I can tell that they're snitching by their actions.
No cartoons, I was selling tweedy birds
I wasn't watching cartoons, I was selling drugs.
Niggas ain't from the streets, he got alotta nerve
People who aren't from the streets have a lot of nerve to act like they are.
I just pulled up on my buddy, he had a plant of purple
I visited my friend and he had some marijuana plants that were purple.
Smokin' Whoopi Goldberg, we call it the color purple
We are smoking a type of weed called the color purple, named after the movie with Whoopi Goldberg.
In a CL 600, all white
I'm driving an all-white Mercedes-Benz CL 600.
Talkin' Bob Barker bricks, cause the price is right
I'm talking about buying drugs in large amounts, which are cheap and affordable like the price is right game show host Bob Barker's prizes.
Mister Dale Earnhardt move the work fast
I move drugs quickly like race car driver Dale Earnhardt.
Whole buncha white squares in em black bags
The bags of drugs I have are filled with small white squares.
I just wanna see some green and some rubberbands
I just want to see some cash and the rubberbands people use to hold it together.
Into makin' money flyin', watchin' strippers dance
I enjoy making money by flying and watching strippers dance.
Shawty said she light skin, and I should call her red
A girl told me she has light skin and suggested that I call her red.
Told her it's a black and white world and I just want some head
I dismissed her suggestion and told her that the world seems black and white to me and I just want oral sex.
It's Gucci Mane, call me Stevie Wonder
I'm Gucci Mane, and people call me Stevie Wonder, perhaps because they think I'm blind to haters.
I don't see these haters, I just see the numbers
I don't pay attention to haters, just the money I'm making.
I just see the money, I just see the commas
All I care about is the money and the commas that represent the thousands.
Drop the top on my 'Vette, I just see the summa'
I lowered the convertible top on my Corvette and now I can see the total sum of my wealth.
Bunch old jacked white guys in my pocket, racks
I have a lot of money in my pocket, in the form of stacks of bills.
I stash the re up then fuck up the profit
I hide my drug supply and then manage to mess up the profits.
I might cash out, I might spazz out
I might withdraw all my cash or go crazy unexpectedly.
You throwin' rocks, but you livin' in a glass house
You're criticizing me, but you're living in a fragile situation.
Put my Gucci shades on, I got night vision
I put on my Gucci sunglasses, which make me feel like I can see in the dark.
Shiftin' gears in my 'Rarri like it's ?
I'm driving my Ferrari and shifting gears as if I'm racing on a track.
And everyday I'm on go, you on straight pause
I'm constantly hustling, while you're stagnant.
I don't see you niggas, it's like I'm Ray Charles
I don't see any of you haters, it's like I'm Ray Charles, who was blind.
Yeah I'm color blind, I like yellow bones
I am actually color blind but I still have preferences for women, such as lighter-skinned women.
I like my coke white, I like my kush strong
I prefer my cocaine to be the color white and my marijuana to be strong.
So nigga tune in, my life a mob movie
Listen up because my life is like a movie about organized crime.
Say it's a cold drought, then nigga call Gucci!
If you're in the middle of a drug drought, then call me, Gucci, for a supply.
All I see is dead people
All I can see are dead people.
Soo woop, all I see is red people
I see people who belong to the Bloods gang, who's color is red.
Red dots, chop chop, I see dead people
I can see people dying from gunshots.
Shoot him through his snap back, make his head see through
I'll shoot someone wearing a snapback cap, so he can see through the hole in his head.
Body count, body count
I have killed multiple people; my body count is high.
Add anotha' nigga to my body count
I'm adding another person to the growing list of people I've killed.
AR15 hold alotta rounds
My AR15 rifle can hold a lot of ammunition.
Sniper kit, so that bitch don't make nada sound
I have a kit to make my sniper rifle silent when fired.
FN-57 with them blue tips
I have an FN-57 handgun loaded with bullets that have blue tips.
20 shot clip, that should move shit
My clip has 20 rounds, which should be enough to handle anyone who opposes me.
White car, that's my cool whip
My white car is my cool new ride.
Still movin' 8 balls, without a pool stick
I'm still selling small amounts of cocaine, without the need for a pool stick.
Santana bitch, I don't see no colors
My name is Juelz Santana, and I don't judge people based on their skin color.
But I see you hatin ass mafuckas
I can see the people who are hating on me.
I got some lil' niggas that'll do ya dirty
I have some young people who will cause harm to others.
Free of charge too, they just wanna put some work in
They are willing to do this for free, just to get some experience.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LaRon Louis James, Mario Mims, Radric Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SlimWu
This track is too good to be so overlooked!
@larryabbitt6541
I agree with ya on that
@TerrellRobertson-dt2ig
1993
@Kyman23
Beat goes bonkers! All 3 of them went off 🚀
@BreakTime30
I just wish music was still like this... 💣
@dariuswilliams6683
Juelz verse classic 🔥🔥🔥🔥
@IMcFly1st
Santana kills it !
@bmoreparanormal2465
One of the best collaboration ever
@OhYeahBeats
huge fan gotti! this deserves a whole lot more spot light...
@stefanelmapugay1103
Bro wtf. I was in middle school when this shit came out. Time flies 😞